1. Field
The technology of the present application relates generally to wireless devices or terminals having extended hibernation or low duty cycles, and more specifically to a mobile positioning center or network server having an information or schedule controller to support wireless devices or terminals having extended hibernation or low duty cycles.
2. Background
The ability of wireless devices or terminals to access and use location and/or position based services is becoming ubiquitous. Some applications in fact require the location or position of the wireless device or terminal. For example, the adoption of enhanced 911 services in North America requires the position or location of a wireless device to be provided to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) when an emergency response call is made (i.e., a 911 call).
In some instances remotely located, battery operated wireless devices or terminals are used to monitor the operational status information of equipment and transmit the information to a more centrally located information processing device or center. To facilitate long term operation of these devices, it is desirous to place the battery operated wireless device into a “sleep” or low power operational mode to conserve battery power for a majority of the time and only provide sufficient battery power during periods when the wireless device actually needs to function. For example, a radio frequency identification unit for a container of cargo on a ship may only need to transmit location once an hour, once a day, or the like. Other uses may have different operational needs and time frames.
To extend battery life, the above referenced co-owned patent applications disclose, among other things, a low duty cycle controller and a low duty cycle device. The low duty cycle controller maintains synchronization between the low duty cycle controller and one or more low duty cycle devices operating over a communications network. The synchronization is maintained separate from the protocol and timing of the communication network. The low duty cycle device operates with an extended hibernation mode inhibiting the transmission, reception, and processing of signals.
While the low duty cycle controller and device are useful, many position and/or location base services use a mobile positioning center and position determining equipment to generate the actual position or location of the device. Moreover, other network based servers may be required to send or receive messages and transmissions from devices. Currently, the mobile positioning centers, the associated position determining equipment, or various other associated network servers and applications do not currently incorporate an ability to effectively communicate with a low duty cycle device. Thus, it would be desirous to provide a mobile positioning center, other network server, or the like that has the ability to support a low duty cycle device.